Manchester City are set for a midfield overhaul this summer after winning a historic treble…
What is the latest news about Warren Zaire-Emery?
According to reports from Spain, Man City are set to battle with Premier League rivals Liverpool for the signature of Paris Saint-Germain starlet Warren Zaire-Emery.
The 17-year-old prospect enjoyed a breakout campaign with the Parisian side, making 31 appearances for the senior side and scoring two goals, and the French champions are not eager to sell the player, with an 'attractive' offer needed.
The report states that Liverpool and Manchester City are not the only two sides interested in the French attacking midfielder, with a host of top European sides vying for his signature.
However, Manchester City may have the upper hand as they are willing to include Bernardo Silva, a PSG transfer target, in negotiations for Zaire-Emery, who CIES Football Observatory value at around €20m (£18m).
Who is Zaire-Emery most like?
Despite playing in different positions, Zaire-Emery shares a lot of qualities with a young Wayne Rooney, according to former England international Joe Cole.
Speaking on BT Sport (via the Daily Mail) ahead of PSG's defeat to Bayern Munich, Cole was full of praise for the midfielder, stating:
"He's an incredible talent, physically he reminds me of Wayne Rooney, the size of his thighs at just 16."
Zaire-Emery stands at 5 feet 10 and looks incredibly well-developed physically for a player his age, allowing him to hold his own in very physical midfield battles. WhoScored also agrees with this sentiment, classing both his ability to hold onto the ball and his ability to block the ball as some of the youngster's key strengths.
The 17-year-old gem also excels on the ball, with his dribbling and passing comparable to some of the best players in the world. The midfielder ranks in the top 15% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for non-penalty goals, the top 10% for successful take-ons, the top 19% for progressive carries and the top 3% for pass completion, all per 90 via FBref.
Rooney at the same age, albeit playing in a different position, shared a similar mentality to the PSG teen.
Joe Cole also shares that belief, saying about Zaire-Emery's mentality:
"He's a man already. We were talking about his mindset. Usually, when you score your first goal, you lost your mind completely, but he just strolls away, cool as you like."
The England and United talisman was a phenom himself when he broke onto the scene, with his physicality and his technical ability allowing him as a teenager to hold his own and sometimes even dominate some of the most experienced and most highly rated professionals in the league.
At the same age, although it isn't as prevalent as Manchester United's all-time record goalscorer, Zaire-Emery has shown glimpses of similar aspects of his game.
For Rooney, making the move to Manchester at 17 to work under a manager who was regarded as the best in the world was the key to further unlocking his game and developing into the world-class player he ultimately became.
Meanwhile, the PSG starlet has the opportunity to follow in the steps of Rooney, albeit joining the blue side of Manchester rather than the red side.
The opportunity to work under Pep Guardiola could be huge for the midfielder as well, and the Spaniard is reportedly desperate to get the chance to mould the player into a "top-class player for years to come".
Should Zaine-Emery make the move to Manchester City, the Citizens may well have their own Wayne Rooney in their hands.